AuthorTopic: Aussie Wildlife (Read 9270 times)

We have been visiting our daughter and her family who live in the Central Highlands of Queensland. They are 200 km west of Rockhampton, 800 km north west of Brisbane and about 1100 km from where we live. It's in the middle of Queensland's coal mining district, with many open cut mines operating over a large area. Unfortunately, the world price of coal, and the demand from the likes of China, have dropped dramatically, causing many mines to lay off staff. This is having a big effect on Blackwater and similar towns as people are being made redundant and leaving.

Our van is parked in our daughter's back yard, and behind it is a large open area of farmland. There are quite a few kangaroos, and the 2 shown below were only about 50 metres from the van, over the back fence, they are a female and her quite big joey. Our daughter tells me she has seen as many as 30 roos at a time, and there were actually another 4 or 5 with these two, but they were laying down in the long grass, and can't be seen.

It was reported that a large grey kangaroo, which had become something of an attraction at the local hospital, was shot and killed by some idiot a couple of nights ago. It used to look through the hospital windows, and graze in the grounds. It posed no threat, and was regarded almost as a pet by the hospital employees. The police are investigating this senseless killing.

Two other photos of roos were taken when we visited Glenlyon Dam, near Tenterfield NSW, a couple of years ago. They were relatively tame, and I was able to get close enough to take some shots. There are millions of kangaroos in Australia, yet because most of the human population live in major cities, they only see them when travelling in country areas, or in zoos and wildlife parks. Roos can be pests to farmers in grain growing and grazing regions as they can do considerable damage to crops or pasture.

Well Peter first thanks for the very nice picture, & your daughter will not have to mow any lawn with these guys around. The senseless shooting of wild animals as a sport should be stopped, it leaves me cold inside, having spent over 25 years of my life photographing wild life here in North America. It is something I will never forget. Their live is tough enough trying to survive. Mick B.

It was reported that a large grey kangaroo, which had become something of an attraction at the local hospital, was shot and killed by some idiot a couple of nights ago. It used to look through the hospital windows, and graze in the grounds. It posed no threat, and was regarded almost as a pet by the hospital employees. The police are investigating this senseless killing.

They need to check out the dentists in the area I would suggest................

The killing of wild animals is always an emotional subject and something I generally disapprove of. However, since the coming of European settlement in Australia kangaroos have never had it so good and, as a result, have bred prolifically. Graziers have created easy access to water for their livestock, planted large areas of crops and improved pastures, all of which means that local wildlife have a vastly better food and water supply. Unfortunately, kangaroo numbers have increased dramatically, so culling has been, and is still, necessary. Despite what some would have us believe, kangaroos are definitely not a threatened species, there are literally millions of them across our vast country, and they remain a much loved symbol of Australia.

We drove over to my son's place today about 100km (not far outside Canberra) . I didn't really attempt to count the grey kangaroos but I would say the biggest mob was about 30, I would guess at over 200 in total. This was in paddocks at the sides of the road. We would also have seen a dozen or more bodies, kangaroos that had been hit by cars (or had hit cars). We saw a few at the side of the road only 5 -10 feet away from us, we had one large one bounding out of trees at the side of the road, crossing the road about 20 ft in front of us. Don't tell me the number of kangaroos is going down.

To make it a little boat related, are you aware that if you have a dog and it chases a a kangaroo, they will sometimes go into a farm dam and when the dog follows them the kangaroo will hold the dog and drown it. I've heard of it a few times and it has happened to a friend of mine.

Hi all, I was in Australia visiting my son 3 years ago, May / June time and we spent some time in the Daintree national forest area. Driving along in the light rain we saw a pair of cassowaries. They were on the road and indifferent to the 3 cars that stopped to see them, not quite posing for photographs they just caried on into the forest. The authorities ask for all sightings to be reported, we were privileged it seems.If anyone goes there all the garages sell rain "jackets' with hoods, essential purchases.regards Roy

Kangaroo meat is probably that colour because its fat content is so low, only around 2%. This makes it very healthy but tricky to cook well as it tends to dry out. I have seen it for sale in France, so give it a try. Any venison recipe should work well.

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I eat my peas with honey,I've done it all my life;It makes the peas taste funny,But it keeps 'em on the knife.

Another shot of some visiting wildjife of a different kind, a Sulphur Crested White Cockatoo on the back fence of our daughter's chicken run, where it had been helping itself to the chicken feed. There a lots of them around, and their raucous calls are very distinctive.

The other photos were taken while I was out for my morning bike ride last Saturday. It was taken on a road my son-in-law uses when he rides his bike to work at an open cut coal mine. It is in the process of being upgraded, although I'm not sure why as very little traffic uses it at present. I was about 8 km outside the town of Blackwater, and the distant hills in the first shot are part of the Blackdown Tableland, roughly 40 km away. In the other shot, the hills behind are part of the spoil heap of the mine.

It does look that way, Ken, but the town of Blackwater, population around 6,000, is only about 8 km away. Having said that, distance means nothing to the people here, they think nothing of driving to Rockhampton to go to the cinema, a 400 km round trip